Free floating fishing tool

Abstract

An apparatus for use in fishing in which a fisherman can toss the apparatus out of a boat and then leave the area so that there is no disturbance in the area of the apparatus to keep fish from being attracted to the bait attached to a hook. The apparatus consists of a container which may be hollow, filled with air and of sufficient size to float on the water, to provide enough resistance to set the hook in the mouth of the fish and to provide enough drag to tire the fish after the hook has been set in the mouth of the fish. Attached to a smaller end of the container is a lid to prevent water from entering the container. Also attached to the smaller end is a fishing line to which is attached a swivel, a sinker, and a hook to which bait may be attached.

We claim: 
     
       1. A free floating fishing device comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical body of buoyant material with a closed end and an open end opposite the closed end, said closed end having a larger diameter than said open end; means for closing said open end;   a fishing line attached to said open end;   a swivel attached to said fishing line near said open end;   a sinker attached to said fishing line at a point further from said open end than said swivel; and   a hook attached to said fishing line at an end of said fishing line opposite said open end of said elongated hollow cylindrical body of buoyant material;   said elongated hollow cylindrical body of buoyant material being filled with a sufficient volume of air to continue floating after a fish has been hooked.   
     
     
       2. A free floating fishing device according to claim 1, wherein: said swivel is a brass bubble swivel; and   said sinker is a lead egg sinker.   
     
     
       3. A method of fishing with a free floating fishing device comprising the steps of: providing a free floating fishing device including an elongated hollow cylindrical body of buoyant material filled with air and having a closed end, an open end of smaller diameter than the closed end, means for closing said open end, a fishing line attached to the open end, a swivel attached to said fishing line near said open end, a sinker attached to said fishing line, and a hook attached to a free end of said line;   placing bait on said hook;   tossing the free floating fishing device out of a boat and into a body of water;   moving said boat a spaced distance from said free floating fishing device;   waiting a sufficient time to enable said free floating fishing device to hook a fish;   returning said boat to said free floating fishing device;   picking up said free floating fishing device and said fish with the aid of a net; and   unhooking said fish from said hook.   
     
     
       4. A method of using a free floating fishing device according to claim 3, wherein the step of waiting a sufficient time to enable said free floating fishing device to hook a fish further comprises the steps of: said fish grabbing said bait and said hook thereby pulling said elongated hollow cylindrical body of buoyant material below a surface of said body of water whereby a drag force caused by a resistance to said pulling causes said hook to become set in a mouth of said fish;   said fish becoming tired by pulling said free floating fishing device around while swimming; and   said elongated hollow cylindrical body of buoyant material indicating a location of said fish until said free floating fishing device is retrieved.